Maybe it’s you.

You know the classic break up line “it’s not you, it’s me”?

Well, when it comes to the turnover or your quality team, maybe it is you.  

Since announcing my team building business venture, I’ve had quite a few conversations that go something like this:

“We need you to come in and fix our workplace!” 

“I would love to help. It’s amazing that you recognize room for improvement on your team! Who do I get in touch with?”

“Well… *hangs head and scuffs toes in the dirt* That’s the thing… it’s the boss who is the problem.”

At this rate my business should be booked out for the next 10 years! But what do we do when the way forward is actually the road block?

Oh. 

So, like I said, maybe it is you.

Uncertain? I’ve compiled a quick checklist to help.  If any of the points below resonate, you just may be part of the problem.  Don’t worry - I won’t tell. And, more importantly, I am here to help.  

• Do you make changes that will directly impact people without consulting with them first?

• Do you have a high staff turnover rate?

• Do people frequently call in sick or show up late?

• Do you avoid conflict like the plague?

• Do you focus on what is not getting done instead of celebrating little wins?

• Do you assume your staff will come to you if they have an issue?

• Do conversations stop when you enter the room?

• Do you have a tendency to micromanage the team?

If any of the above strike a nerve, you are not alone and the first step is realizing you may be part of the problem. 

So what can you do?

Take a minute to reflect - remember what it was like before you were the boss.  

We’ve all had bosses who we’ve loved and others not so much - keep this in mind and the tendencies that you respected, and also those that drove you crazy. 

Try not to micromanage. If you hired someone it’s likely because you were confident they would do a good job.  Looking over their shoulder constantly will cause them to feel undermined and like you don’t trust them.  The people who work for you are adults (at least I’m writing this on the assumption that they are!) Treat them like it.

Realize that not everyone is going to like you.  One of the challenges of being the boss is making the big decisions and sometimes having difficult conversations.  Maintaining clear boundaries and remember the difficult conversations may be detrimental to the success of your business.  This won’t make it easier, but will help remind you why they are necessary.  I had a boss once who was so uncomfortable ruffling feathers that it actually caused us to respect them less as many issues would get ignored because they didn’t want to upset the peace.  In reality it disrupted the peace even more as resentments built up from having to fix the mistakes of unqualified staff.  

Pay attention to the little successes and give credit where due.  

Take the time to check in with people.  Ask open ended questions such as: what is going well? Where are you struggling? How can I support you?

Also, when possible, get the team’s input when making changes - especially when the changes will impact them directly.  Creating these open channels of communication increases engagement and feelings of value.  

Those are just a few things to keep in mind.  If you’re looking for more help, it can be very beneficial to bring someone in to facilitate a bi-yearly check in, do some team building, or help the team develop a workplace wellness action plan.  

At the end of the day, taking the time to make some positive changes now takes less time that finding, hiring, and training new staff.